DoD sponsors 'day in the life' contest on Web portal

Until now, the only civilians who had a chance to don a flight suit and live a Navy pilot fantasy or test their stamina at Marine Corps boot camp lived in Hollywood.

But the Defense Department has teamed up with Yahoo!, the Internet portal site, to offer the rest of us a taste of military life, and promote the agency as an exciting place to work.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Armed Forces Day, the Defense Department is sponsoring Yahoo's "Fantasy Careers in Today's Military" contest. The contest began on Armed Forces Day, May 20, and runs through Independence Day, July 4.

"This contest is designed to expose the public to the military's role and to provide an opportunity for five individuals to experience 'a day in the life.' This is the experience of a lifetime that has never before been offered this way to the public," said Comm. Yvette Brown-Wahler, a DoD spokeswoman.

Under the advertising initiative, Yahoo! will feature several military occupations on its Careers Web site as among its fantasy jobs. Five lucky visitors to the site will get a chance to try the jobs, which include steering a Navy aircraft carrier, training as a Coast Guard search and rescue swimmer, parachuting with the Army's Golden Knights and attending Marine Corps basic training at Quantico, Va.

To register for the contest, participants must go to careers.yahoo.com, click on the "Fantasy Careers" link, complete a resume and an essay, and then cross their fingers and wait.